1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to security systems. In particular, the present invention relates to an intelligent control system for simulating occupancy of a building or dwelling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Deterring vandalism and burglary are important for property owners. Vandalism and property theft can often be deterred merely by having the premises occupied or watched by security personnel. Making a building appear to be occupied is also an effective deterrent to burglary, vandalism and other trespass. When away from home, many residents use lighting control systems such as timers and/or carrier control units, to turn lights on and off so as to simulate occupancy of a building.
The well-known electromechanical lamp timer, plugged into an outlet with a controlled device plugged into the timer, can turn a lamp, television, radio, or other device on and off at designated times. While the controlled device, e.g., a lamp or radio, does come on and go off at a set time, lamp timers offer marginal security because a determined thief can, and will, watch a home or building and quickly learn that lights and/or other appliances predictably go on and turn off at precisely the same time. In fact, appliances that cycle on and off at precisely the same time, every day, actually suggest that the building is unoccupied. Repeated on/off occurrences at the same time each day indicate that a house or building is unoccupied and might make the house a target for a burglar. A home, office or other building might be actually more susceptible to invasion by a burglar after a prior art timer""s schedule has been learned.
Prior art radio frequency (RF) carrier control units also exist which extend the function of the simple timer. In a carrier control security system, control signals to turn appliances on and off are modulated onto RF signals carried on existing AC building wiring. These on/off control signals are detected by lamp or appliance control modules equipped with radio frequency receivers which detect the on/off control signals and apply or remove AC power to a device plugged into the remote control unit. On and off times are set by the carrier control system controller.
In a carrier control unit, house codes and device codes are first established for the carrier control unit and controlled switches associated with each controlled device. On/off commands for a controlled device can be initiated at the control unit by the user or a sequence of on/off events at given times and may be programmed by the user. The programmed on/off events typically repeat each day but can be repeated at some other period. The carrier control unit will turn on the designated devices at the time of day established by the resident. A problem with these prior art carrier control devices however is that the static nature of the program can still be learned simply by watching the building or residence for a few days. While some carrier control devices can vary on-off cycle times, by a few minutes, the patterned behavior of controlled devices is not difficult to determine. Further, if a building occupant or resident wants on/off times significantly varied, the system must be manually reset or reprogrammed.
Prior art security systems, which rely on preprogrammed controllers or timers, do not accurately simulate occupancy of a building. Consequently, there exists a need for a method and apparatus that more accurately simulates occupancy of a building or dwelling by providing realistic control of lighting equipment and appliances. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent control system capable of more accurately simulating building occupancy.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for an intelligent control system that records the actual on/off events of devices controlled by the system over a daily, weekly, or other user-specified time period. In simulating occupancy of a residence or other building, the intelligent control system replays recorded on/off events of the controlled devices thereby reflecting actual usage patterns of controlled appliances by the resident or building occupant. By learning and then replaying actual use of controlled appliances, the system can actually replicate building conditions that indicate building occupancy.
The system operates in two modes. In a xe2x80x9clearnxe2x80x9d mode, the system controller, monitors and detects actual use of controlled appliances for a user-defined length of time and records on/off cycles of the controlled devices. These controlled appliances could include lighting equipment, audio equipment, heating and/or air conditioning equipment, or other electrically powered appliances the use and/or operation of which would indicate that the residence or building is occupied.
In a xe2x80x9crunxe2x80x9d mode, the system controller plays back the on/off cycles of controlled appliances whereby the appliances are actuated by the controller as if the occupant were using them. After learning appliance use, the system can actually replicate their use thereby making a residence or other building appear to be occupied.
By learning and storing actual usage patterns of appliances over a period of time, the method and apparatus disclosed herein can render a more lifelike simulation of building occupancy. Occupied buildings, as well as buildings that appear to be occupied, are less likely to be vandalized or burglarized.
In one embodiment, the intelligent control system records on/off events for a single device. In another embodiment, an intelligent control system controls multiple devices, simulating occupancy of a user""s residence or building.